Apple releases new OSes for iPhones, iPads, and Watches: version 17

[thewayne]

Also Apple TV. Watches go to v10.

iPhones are getting a couple of interesting features that I like. One is the ability to share Air Tag tracking, that'll be nice. And a live phone message transcription feature which will allow you to pick up the phone call while the message is being left if you want! Just like the old answering machines used to let you do.

Some other notable updates:
--Maps let you download segments where you know you'll be outside of cell coverage
--iPhone 14 and 15 can tie AAA Roadside Service into the Emergency SOS satellite coverage
--Improved crash detection for the iPhone 14

My Mom never understood how cell phone voice mail worked. She'd leave a message and it was along the lines of "Wayne? Are you there?" Sorry, Mom. Once you were at that stage, no, I wasn't there.

I am a bit nervous that they might yet again screw up how hearing aids work. A previous version of iOS, I think it was 13, was an utter nightmare! It was never fixed, though it was slightly improved over the course of the year. I eventually gave up and went to my iPhone 8 as it had the previous iOS on it. Finally the next version of iOS started playing well with my hearing aids again.

Makes you wonder how well they test these things.

Myself, I'm not updating devices - yet. I'll wait until they get to .1 or .2, I've been burned before and John Scalzi's new book, Starter Villain, dropped last night and I'm not going to lose the chance to continue reading it. I can wait a couple of weeks to download all these.

This link describes what appears to be all the changes:
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/09/18/apple-releases-ios-17/

MacOS will get a new release very soon.

Comments

[disneydream06]

Myself, I'm not updating devices - yet.
I was just about to say, must be time for everybody to get new phones, huh? lol........
Hugs, Jon

[thewayne]

They released the iPhone 15 this week, I think.  I'm still running the 13, no plans to upgrade anytime soon, my watch is likewise two generations old.  Unless my gear develops a fault, I prefer to hold on to it until they stop working, especially my phone since they're going to stop making the Mini form factor for a while.

[disneydream06]

I just don't get into all those new fangled things. LOL...
I use mine until it doesn't work any more or they upgrade stuff so much that my old phone just doesn't work any more. :o

[thewayne]

That's the way that I prefer to do things to minimize the amount of ewaste that I generate.  And I don't want a BIG FUCKING PHONE!!!

[disneydream06]

I do have to laugh at some of the phones now.
They kept getting smaller and smaller and smaller and now that seems to be going the other way. :o

[moonhare]

My iPad complains that I don't have enough memory for an update. I tossed a bunch of videos and pics but I should start wholesale dropping apps I don't use anyway.

[thewayne]

I feel your pain.  Back about a decade ago, I bought an iPad Mini 2.  It was expensive to increase the memory on those little buggers at the time, and I only got 16 gig.  Talk about a pain to do upgrades and updates!  It was retired a couple of years ago.

[bibliofile]

Yeah, I have my phone set to update only manually, so I've avoided some surprise annoyances that way. Thanks for the warning though.

[thewayne]

I have my gear set to download but not apply, speeds things up a little bit.

[fairy69]

"My Mom never understood how cell phone voice mail worked. She'd leave a message and it was along the lines of "Wayne? Are you there?" Sorry, Mom. Once you were at that stage, no, I wasn't there."

LMAO!!!!!

[thewayne]

It was pretty funny.  I never told her, but I was amused.

[silveradept]

And another generation of devices finds themselves on the wrong end of Apple's e-waste generation program, without any means of making it possible for them to keep being used and updated for security.

[thewayne]

Yep.  I'm not sure which generation of iPhones stop receiving OS updates, I think the 10.